Hear now the tale of the wondrous jewel and the mystery of Skambha, as preserved in the ancient words. Long ago, Brihaspati, the wise preceptor of the gods, bound a magical jewel for the Devas, to shield them from the power of the Asuras. This jewel, radiant with divine potency, came to me, bringing with it rice and barley, abundance and prosperity. Again, the same jewel, bound for the gods’ protection, arrived to me accompanied by honey, the flowing richness of ghee, and the very essence of sweetness and nourishment. It did not come alone, for it brought curds and milk, wealth and beauty, adorning my life with all auspicious things. With every appearance, the jewel bestowed more: brilliance, radiance, fame, and renown, shining forth like the sun among all. It came bearing every power, fulfilling all desires, and I prayed that the deities would grant me this jewel for my nourishment—a jewel that conquers, increases sovereignty, and crushes rivals. With the power of Brahman and the brilliance of divine energy, I released for myself what is auspicious, wishing to be without rivals and for my enemies to be brought low. May this jewel, born of the gods, make me superior to my adversaries! The three worlds, whose essence is sought by all, attend upon it. May this jewel rise upon me for supremacy, crowning my head. May that jewel, by which gods, ancestors, and humans always subsist, ascend upon me for excellence, resting upon my head. Just as a seed sown in fertile soil grows strong when tended, so may my offspring, cattle, and food increase. To whomever you, jewel of sacrifice, have granted auspiciousness—may you, jewel of a hundred gifts, bestow supremacy upon him. O Agni, delighting in this prepared offering, accept it with our oblations; in you, Jātavedas, kindled by the priest, may we establish good fortune, offspring, vision, and cattle. Now, a profound questioning arises about the foundation of all things—Skambha, the cosmic pillar and support. Upon which part of him does ascetic heat abide? Where is truth established? Where does observance dwell, where does faith stand, and on which part is his truthfulness founded? From which part of Skambha does Agni blaze forth? From which part does Mātariśvan, the wind, blow? From which is the moon measured out, as one measures out a great limb of Skambha? Upon which part of him does the earth rest? Upon which does the atmosphere stand? Where is the sky established? Where is the highest heaven set? Where, aspiring, does the upward fire blaze? Where does Mātariśvan blow with longing? Where do the aspiring rivers flow together? Tell me of Skambha—who indeed is that god? Where do the half-months and months, joined with the year, go? Where do the seasons and their periods find their place? Where do day and night, the two youthful and differing forms, run together in union? Where do the flowing waters converge? Tell me of Skambha—who indeed is that god? In whom, having been established, did Prajāpati uphold all the worlds? That which is highest, lowest, and in the middle, which Prajāpati fashioned in all forms—how much of Skambha entered there, and what remained outside? How much of Skambha entered into all that has been and will be, following after him? When he made one limb into a thousand, how much of Skambha entered there? Where people know the worlds, the sheaths, the waters, and Brahman; where the existent and the non-existent meet—tell me of Skambha—who indeed is that god? Where ascetic heat, having reached its peak, upholds observance; where truth and faith, waters and Brahman are gathered—tell me of Skambha—who indeed is that god? In whom earth, atmosphere, and sky are established; where fire, moon, sun, and wind are set—tell me of Skambha—who indeed is that god? In whose limb all the thirty-three gods are gathered—tell me of Skambha—who indeed is that god? Where the first-born seers, the Ṛc, Sāman, and Yajus, and the great earth are set; where the single seer is established—tell me of Skambha—who indeed is that god? Where both immortality and death are established within the person, whose channels are like an ocean gathered within—tell me, which god is that Skambha? In whom the four cardinal directions stand as the foremost channels, where the sacrifice has advanced—tell me, which god is that Skambha? Those who know Brahman in the person know the Supreme Lord; whoever knows the Supreme Lord and Prajāpati—those Brahmins who know the eldest, they truly know Skambha. Whose head became Vaiśvānara, whose eyes became the Angirases, whose limbs became the Yātavas—tell me, which god is that Skambha? Whose mouth, they say, is Brahman, whose tongue is honey-sweet, whose intellect is Virāj—tell me, which god is that Skambha? From whom the Ṛc verses were uttered, from whom the Yajus were spoken, whose hairs are the Sāman chants, whose mouth is Atharvan and Angiras—tell me, which god is that Skambha? People know the unsubstantial branch as the highest; yet others, who are lower, consider that branch as real and worship it. Where the Ādityas, Rudras, and Vasus are established, where both the past and the future, all worlds are set—tell me, which god is that Skambha? Whose treasure the thirty-three gods always guard—who today knows that treasure which you gods protect? Where the gods who know Brahman worship the eldest Brahman—whoever knows them directly, he would be the knower of Brahman. Those gods called Bṛhants who were born from the non-existent—people say that one limb of Skambha is the non-existent. Where Skambha, generating offspring, turned away the ancient—people know that one limb of Skambha as the ancient. In whose limb the thirty-three gods divided the body—some who know Brahman know those thirty-three gods. People know the golden germ as the highest, unexcelled; Skambha at first poured out that gold within the world. Thus, the jewel of Brihaspati and the mystery of Skambha are intertwined—the jewel brings prosperity and power, while Skambha supports all creation, the gods, the worlds, and the very essence of existence. Those who truly know these mysteries know the heart of Brahman itself.